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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25627855">Lake in the Woods</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warriors - Erin Hunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Body Horror, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I love these three being one good-ish terms, LET BREEZE BE A GOOD BRO 2020, Self-Indulgent, Singing, They could be sirens, WAIT that sounded weird aloud, and being sort of friends, anybody can correct me if they please, but he just does something weird with his mouth, had two inspirations for this one, i hate that song now, idk which is which, me be no songwriter, mermaid au, mermaid singing, nobody sing like Jay tho, the body horror isn't that detailed/bad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:54:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25627855</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lionblaze has a secret. Two of them, actually. </p><p>Two secrets that could have a secret themselves...</p><p> </p><p>Constructive criticism would appreciated here, and any comments, kudos, hits, or anything else of the like are also greatly appreciated!! Have a fun read!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Breezepelt &amp; Jayfeather (Warriors), Breezepelt &amp; Lionblaze (Warriors), Jayfeather &amp; Lionblaze (Warriors)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lake in the Woods</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24682267">H20: Just add Cats</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSkyclanCat/pseuds/TheSkyclanCat">TheSkyclanCat</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nightmares occur, and sweet songs follow.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Aren’t mermaids supposed to be good at singing?”</p><p>Breezepelt stopped whittling at the branch, setting the knife down on the nearby rocks.</p><p>“Who told you that?” He murmured carefully, putting the stick down with the others.</p><p>“Just something humans know from folktales… but I’ve never heard you sing before.”</p><p>“You’ll hear a lot of things in your lifetime, Blaze. Hearing me sing isn’t going to be one of them.” The merman splashed his tail lightly on the waves, sighing. “Haven’t sung in years. Unless you want to hear walrus sounds…”</p><p>“So I guess you guys can’t sing like that, huh?” Lionblaze sounded a bit disappointed.</p><p>“Jay’s a pretty good singer. Ask him. But don’t ask me again.”</p><p>And that was the end of it, or so both of them thought. Months of hiding Breezepelt and Jayfeather in the lake in the woods wasn’t easy, and it certainly wasn’t easy to explain why he was suddenly buying so much seafood and actually utilizing the hunting skills he’d learned in that weird hunting club, but somehow, he did it.</p><p>He knew that the fact that he was stashing away two mermen wouldn’t stay that way for long, but with how terrible he typically was at keeping secrets, he was doing a pretty good job of lying to everyone his knew and loved to preserve two creatures he’d met while walking on the beach.</p><p>Currently, he was dragging a particularly large deer to the location of the small lake, grumbling about how this better last them at least one day (unlike the last one). He paused when voices chimed from the water. Once he remembered that the brothers were mostly nocturnal, he debated on whether or not he should just leave the deer or return with it later. His thoughts slipped away as he listened to the conservation.</p><p>“…You need to stop trying to act like everything’s fine.”</p><p>“It’s is!” Jayfeather’s voice snapped. “Everything is fine.”</p><p>“Here we go with this… you wouldn’t have such bad nightmares if you would just talk to me. I’m the only one available who can understand.”</p><p>“Maybe you’ll understand that I don’t want to talk to you then. Not about the sharks, not about them, not about <em>anything!</em> Get that through your thick skull, Breeze.”</p><p>“It’s my job to take care of you now. You’re not even a century old.” Breezepelt’s vicious hiss sent icy shots down Lionblaze’s spine. “And if you don’t tell me what the foxdung is making you act like this, then I’m not doing a very good job here!”</p><p>“Get a new job then.”</p><p>“Not going to happen, kid.”</p><p>A huff followed, along with a bit of splashing, then a loud whine from the younger merman.</p><p>“Stop…”</p><p>“Lionblaze did this to me once. It helped me feel better then.” Breezepelt explained softly. “He called it a ‘hug’. It’s some sort of embrace that demonstrates a strong connection between humans.”</p><p>“We’re brothers by blood.” Jayfeather’s laugh was dripping with sarcasm. “How much more of a connection can we get?”</p><p>“It just means I’m here for you is all.”</p><p>There was silence then, and Lionblaze glanced down at the deer hoof in his hands, mind racing with rapid thoughts.</p><p>
  <em>What were they talking about?</em>
</p><p><em>Who were </em>they<em>?</em></p><p>
  <em>What were they talking about sharks for?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And how on earth didn’t they already know what hugs were?!</em>
</p><p>What a world they must have lived in, if there were no hugs… what a dark, cruel place that must be…</p><p>Something happened next he didn’t quite expect. <em>A hum. A hum, wordlessly singing out a song.</em> He’d heard Jayfeather’s singing voice, but never… never this.</p><p>“<em>My little lovely, what you crying for?</em></p><p>
  <em>Moonlight staining your saddened face,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love to see you smile for once,</em>
</p><p><em>Like you used to back in the day…</em>”</p><p>Lionblaze’s heart thudded a beat off rhythm, and he knew it was most likely the magic, but…</p><p>“<em>You’re all I have left, and my only little light,</em></p><p>
  <em>So you have to understand when I see you in fright,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I wish you’d just come to me,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And I’d wipe your face,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And the tears would forever go away…</em>
</p><p><em>My day is only worthwhile, if you… smile.</em>”</p><p>A second listen to the voice, and Lionblaze found himself a little astounded at how soft it was. Soulful. Near womanly, but that couldn’t be… him, could it?</p><p>Guilt struck him in the stomach when he reminded himself that he shouldn’t have been listening to begin with. However, his curiosity shoved him forwards, just enough to peek and see who was gently manipulating notes in order to purposefully jerk his heartstrings. Unfortunately for him, there was a root in his path.</p><p>“Ouchie!”</p><p>Both mermen jumped, Jayfeather clinging tighter to Breezepelt as his elder brother bent the steam of moonlight, shining it around where Lionblaze had fallen. Breezepelt’s pupils shrunk and reddened, and claws slid from his webbed fingers, raking the rocks surrounding the lake. The once human-like mouth cracked up the dark cheeks, opening threateningly to reveal four sharp rows of teeth. The scene shifted from serene to downright pants wetting in two seconds and in his pained state, the blonde wasn’t quite enjoying it.</p><p>“<em>WHO GOES THER</em>- oh, it’s just the bumbling idiot. We’re good.” The merman went normal once again, just assuming the appearance of a plain human with a fish tail.</p><p>“And he brought food!” Jayfeather’s cobalt eyes lit in delight when he gratefully thrilled. “What took you so long?”</p><p>“Um…” Lionblaze glanced up at Breezepelt, tugging himself up from the ground. “I… I mean, I brought you guys dinner-”</p><p>“You were listening, weren’t you.” It wasn’t quite a question, and Lionblaze’s embarrassed flush was answer enough. Breezepelt sighed. “Well, you were bound to find out sometime. But don’t go asking for requests, Blaze.”</p><p>“I w-won’t… but it was so beautiful… why don’t you sing more often?”</p><p>“I WANT TO EAT!” Jayfeather screeched, furiously swiping at the air, apparently tired of all of the talking. “You haven’t fed us since sunrise and all of the fish in the lake are gone so I don’t have any snacks!”</p><p>“That’s mostly your own fault. Told you to at least save the eggs.” Breezepelt scolded.</p><p>“Okay, here you go.” Lionblaze difficultly pushed the deer into the water.</p><p>The deer and Jayfeather were gone in a splash after that.</p><p>“Don’t eat all of it!”</p><p>“I’m not promising nothing!” Jayfeather yelled back to his brother.</p><p>“Ugh…” Breezepelt glanced back up at Lionblaze. “So… guess it’s the big baby’s bedtime, right?”</p><p>“Which one?” Lionblaze sent a glance where Jayfeather had disappeared.</p><p>“<em>Both babies.</em> You’re not nocturnal.” The merman’s gaze clouded in concern. “Can’t believe you stayed up this early just to find us something.” Breezepelt pointed at the house in the near distance. “Go get some rest at least. Your sister’s going to get more suspicious than she already is if she keeps visiting you and you’re tired all of the time.”</p><p>“Right… I guess it would be the best thing to do… sorry it took so lon-”</p><p>“Shut up. Go sleep for once.” Breezepelt turned away in the water, ear fin flicking in annoyance. “Also… don’t eavesdrop on my conversations again. You should know that deer and seafood aren’t the <em>only</em>  things in our diets…”</p><p>“Uh… does this mean you want pizza from now on…?”</p><p>“I’ll leave you to marinate on that.” Then he was gone in a splash, yelling something at Jayfeather that the blanket of water turned to gibberish.</p><p>And that was how it happened. He treaded into the house, answered Hollyleaf’s worried texts, and flopped into his bed, staring at the ceiling.</p><p>He then grinned.</p><p>“I heard another mermaid sing today."</p><p>He fell into a slumber, song still ringing in his ears, lulling him to sleep.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I need to STOP STARTING THINGS when I HAVEN'T FINISHED THINGS<br/>ANYWAYS that little piece of song in there is original (I hope. I say that like "I hope my brain didn't see it before and rechurn it to make me think it was original") just so nobody thinks I'm just copying and pasting song words</p><p>This is not only inspired by "H20: Just Add Cats" by The SkyclanCat but also</p><p>Chapter 8 of "Mocha Frappe's and Triangle Cookies" by ArceustheOriginalOne, and this is the link right below:</p><p>https://archiveofourown.org/works/6032470/chapters/15325468</p><p>(I couldn't find a way to. link it properly??? When I put in the link and the title and author it linked a different story so I just put it all down here.) </p><p>These two fics are basically teaching me all I know about these creatures. I made up some things too but that's not the point-</p></blockquote></div></div>
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